Sins of the Father
by DineinDina
Summary: slight au. Among the things Father Mulcahy regrets, there is only one that Father Francis cannot bring himself to forget.


Disclaimer: I don't own MASH. Seeing the series again I fell in love with the character of Francis Mulcahy, so I wanted to do him justice with this one shot about our Mash number one human character

Some stories of Father Mulcahy I really recommend on site are _Theater of War, Leap of Faith (on the crossover section under His Dark Material category), Golden, In Nomine Patris just among others._

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**1970**

Not much is there to say. All my possession and my family's heirlooms will go to Sydney.

Dear Sydney: I hope your mother can forgive me …

--

**1952**

It was after Frank Burns had been transferred to another MASH, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel, making Hawkeye growl, reclaiming back his dignity he later said was the reason why he smashed the phone and threw almost everything in the tent he had shared with the irritable Major.

Sherman Potter, our Commanding Officer was not too happy about the news either, in fact he used the news to complain more to the generals about how things were not being run right about the war. Houlihah finally gave up; from some weeks ago she came to the conclusion, aided by Hawkeye, that Frank Burns would never leave his wife, children and his spouse's money to marry Margaret.

Frank above everything loved money, a shame when the only one woman that truly loved him had left everything for him.

Francis was always there to help, he was a silent watcher but like one nurse once told her in a confession to him, he really wasn't part of the team, he was there but he wasn't part of them.

He was a watcher, and he watched the discussion.

He sighed and went on to the OR where hours later he performed the rites, the final rites on a poor boy who was only 19. He felt like a vulture just going on around, waiting for someone to die to consume his flesh. He knew it wasn't like that, performing the final rites was giving them hope of a great beginning waiting for them after this life ended for the boys, but somehow after seeing so much hurt in this war, Father Mulcahy began to doubt on that belief.

He never believed that he could get to the point where God, his faith in the saints, angels and the belief of heaven or purgatory could all be extinguished by one doubt.

But he could not help it.

He doubted God now more than ever, and he could have gone to ask for a change of MASH unit or abandon the cloth if it wasn't for one person's arrival.

A day after Frank news of his promotion came into the 4077 and Hawkeye, Sherman and BJ seemed to calm down, one new nurse came on a temporary transfer, her name was Sydney Wilson.

Wilson, at first the chaplain thought, that is impossible, could it be? He asked himself. Surely God did not have such a crude sense of humor to torture his own servant, right?

But the Lord who worked in mysterious ways put Francis to the test.

When Francis saw the young nurse arrive at MASH, he knew then and there who she **really** was.  
Some time ago, he later confessed to Hawkeye, before the pretty nurse left the 4077, he confessed to Hawkeye. An unusual confession, but he felt there was no one other in the hospital that could understand him and not judge him as harsh as he hoped to.

"It was in the summer 1930, I was very young …."

"We were all …"

Before Hawkeye could finish Father Mulcahy interrupted him, "No Hawkeye I was raised under very strict rules, I always thought God was there with me when I had forgotten her but coming here, I thought God had called me, but now I am very wrong and I am proud to admit it. I often wondered if her mother remembers me?"

"I am sure she does Father. Hey you don't have to trouble yourself, we are all human you are no different Father" Hawkeye said tapping his favorite chaplain on the shoulder.

--

**1970**

He supposed he had confessed to Hawkeye also because he had seen the father very altered by the coming of their new nurse. He was the only one besides who wouldn't judge him so harsh, as the local Looney and on more counts to settle on the black list of God and drowning in sin, he would not be so eager to jump on the wagon to judge Father Mulcahy.

Hawkeye kept his promise, he hadn't told anybody of what the father confessed to him.

It was odd telling someone else of what he had seen when he met Sydney's mother, Eileen Junge, she was half German and his parents did not approve of his relation ship with her, but he disobeyed them, the first time he ever rebelled and violated the fourth commandment, for her.

Katherine had later confronted him and warned him not to get too close to her, but Francis too in love with Eileen did not listen to his sister or anyone in his family.

He would have gladly given up his calling for their daughter, but he didn't have the courage to tell her of her mother, not when she was held in such a high standard by Sydney and her stepfather (whom she had grown up to call dad). She said she knew from the start, in one confession she made to Father Mulcahy, that he was not her real dad, according to Eileen, her mother –her father had died or if not he was probably nowhere to be found. A drunk and a nobody ~were the exact words her mother had said about her father.

Francis had nearly cried that they were all lies, her father was alive and she was confessing to him in a time of war, and that he was very proud to have a beautiful, intelligent and devoted daughter, but again the call of God and his own cowardice won over his fatherly instincts.

Father Mulcahy was left to pay for his own sins, after the way his deafness increased his problems and even if Klinger and Sherman helped him get on his two feet, he would sometimes yell and cried in his own rooms until he could hear the sound of his voice, until he could find a reason why it had all been worth it, his life, his affair, his priest voys and more importantly: why had he gone to Korea, why had he not told Sydney the truth about her father?

I am your father, he could have said and now more than ever reading in the newspaper that Sydney, his true daughter was doing some important work on NASA, he begged to whoever was listening that if he could have the chance, just the simple chance of turning back time to return him to that point in time where he could tell her, Sydney of her true parentage, he would have gladly leave everything behind just to be with her.

Time kept on passing by, his prayer unanswered as all the others, and while to Klinger and to Sherman he showed them a smile, when he was in private in his home he began to speak loudly, at himself at first then at to God cursing for the first time, taking a drink until he could hear one word from his mouth.

Redemption would come, his sister once said but for Father Mulcahy who had been diagnosed with cancer two years ago after his sister's death, redemption never came.

…

And so ready to leave everything behind before I tell you how is it I am your father, I want you to keep these letters, photos and all of my writings about everything that went on the 4077 and Korea.

With love, Francis, just Francisfrom now on, John Patrick Mulcahy,

Your father.

* * *

A/N: You review my stories and I will be sure to review yours.


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